We are big fans of chocolate! One thing I’ve learned since coming to Costa Rica is how strong the chocolate culture is. I never realized this! I had heard about Costa Rica’s coffee culture from my previous trip here. But as it turns out, chocolate also has a strong cultural presence too. When I heard about this, I knew I had to take a chocolate workshop to learn more about Costa Rica chocolate.

Fortunately for us, Costa Rica offers plenty of
opportunities for visitors to learn about chocolate, from taking a chocolate
tour to doing a chocolate making workshop. In La Fortuna, Costa Rica, my
daughter and I decided to do a chocolate workshop offered by ChocoMuseo.

Taking a chocolate workshop in Costa Rica (March 2019)

The origins of Costa Rica chocolate

Costa Rica chocolate can trace its roots back to the ancient
Mayan and Aztec civilizations that once ruled Central America. Chocolate was so
revered in their culture, they used the cacao bean as currency! The cacao bean
was also used in ceremonies, ground up and mixed into a special drink. These
days, the drink we now know of as hot chocolate can trace its origins to the Mayan
drink called cocohuatl (also known as
xocolatl in Aztec), which translates
to “bitter water.”

When the Spanish came to Central America, they were
introduced to chocolate by the Mayans and the Aztecs. The Spanish, and the rest
of Europe, became hooked to chocolate. And soon, cacao trade between Central
America and Europe flourished. But as trade grew, the presence and power of
European countries throughout Central America also grew. Cacao plantations grew
throughout the region. And in addition to employing indigenous laborers, these
plantations also utilized the labor of African slaves.

These days, Costa Rica chocolate, as well as chocolate from
the rest of Central America, is eclipsed by chocolate produced by countries in
Asia and Africa. But that doesn’t mean that the chocolate industry in Costa
Rica has disappeared. Cacao plantations still exist in the provinces of Guanacaste,
Alajuela, Talamanca, Cartago, and Puntarenas. And much like the coffee
industry in Costa Rica, you can learn about this industry by taking a chocolate
tour or a chocolate making workshop.

Ancient Central American art (March 2019)

Mother-daughter bonding during our chocolate making workshop

My daughter and I were both excited about taking a chocolate
making workshop with ChocoMuseo in La Fortuna. Since we are worldschooling,
I’m always on the lookout for learning opportunities for my kids. My son chose
to opt out, he’s still a bit too young for cooking classes and demonstrations
anyway. But my daughter was extremely thrilled about the prospect of making her
own chocolate bar, so she was all in for the chocolate workshop.

ChocoMuseo is a South American based company that has
locations in seven different countries throughout Central and South America.
The La Fortuna location has been around for six months. They offer chocolate making
workshops, where you learn about the process of making chocolate from the cacao
bean to the bar, for $29 for adults and $18 for kids. They also offer chocolate
tours in addition to the workshop, where you can visit a chocolate farm and
also learn about how cacao trees are cultivated. These experiences cost $49 for
adults and $38 for kids.

Since we had done a lot of tours and excursions while we
were in La Fortuna, my daughter and I opted for just the chocolate workshop. We’re
glad we did. The workshop was just the right length of time to keep kids
engaged. And at the end of it, she received a certificate! She was so proud of
herself.

Roasting cacao beans together (March 2019)

Why families will love doing a chocolate workshop in Costa Rica

Taking workshops while you travel is a great way to dive
deeper into the cultures that you visit. At times, it can be far more
educational than just going to a museum! If you’re on the fence about doing a
chocolate workshop while in Costa Rica, here are a few more reasons why your
family will love doing it.

You’ll get to eat chocolate!

By far, my daughter’s favorite part of the chocolate making
workshop was getting to eat the chocolate that she made during the workshop. At
our ChocoMuseo workshop, we had a chance to make our own chocolate bars and pick
out the add-ins we wanted to include in the bars. I chose chili and coconut,
while my daughter chose chocolate chips and coconut.

Pouring chocolate into a mold (March 2019)

It’s hands-on fun

I’m always on the lookout for travel experiences for my kids
that are a bit more hands-on. They learn so much more from hands-on experiences
than walking through a museum and reading plaques (although, I still do love
visiting museums). During our chocolate workshop at ChocoMuseo, my daughter and
I had a chance to roast cacao beans and peel them. We also got to grind them
into a paste and mix them with water and spices, just like what the Mayans and
Aztecs used to do to make their chocolate drink. I’m not going to lie, it was a
tough workout for the hands to grind the beans into a paste. But the end product
was so delicious!

Grinding roasted cacao beans (March 2019)

You get to meet new people

When I asked my daughter what was something that she liked about
taking workshops and classes, she responded by explaining how she liked being
able to meet new people. I couldn’t agree with her more. One of the fun parts
about taking a workshop while you travel is being able to meet some interesting
people, both the fellow learners and the teachers. During our chocolate
workshop, we met a father and daughter who were traveling to Costa Rica from
New York. And afterward, we had a chance to talk to Victoria, who runs the La
Fortuna location, and learn about some of the things ChocoMuseo does with the
local community.

Paula explaining the fermentation process (March 2019)

Learn about the history of chocolate

As consumers of chocolate, I think it’s important to
understand the history of the product that we regularly enjoy. During our
chocolate workshop at ChocoMuseo, we were able to learn a bit more about the
history of chocolate. We learned how the Mayans and Aztecs used cacao beans
during ancient times. And we also learned how the Spanish and Europeans adapted
the traditional Mayan drink recipe into something that was a bit more palatable
to European taste buds. It’s always interesting to learn the origins of things
like Costa Rica chocolate.

Mixing a Mayan chocolate drink (March 2019)

You gain an appreciation for fine chocolate

One of the biggest things you learn after taking a chocolate
making workshop or a chocolate tour is just how complicated the whole process
is. From bean to bar, there are at least eight steps: picking the beans,
fermenting them, drying them, roasting them, grinding them, mixing them with
milk, pouring them into a mold, and cooling them. These days, there are
machines that make all the steps to this process much easier, but I definitely now
have much more of an appreciation for fine artisan chocolate!

Enjoying our chocolate workshop (March 2019)

Taking a chocolate tour your next vacation

Whether you do it with ChocoMuseo in La Fortuna, or elsewhere,
I highly recommend doing a chocolate tour or a chocolate workshop on your next vacation.
We loved the hands-on aspect of the workshop, and we learned so much from the
experience too!

Have you done a chocolate making workshop with your family? Share
what you thought about it in the comments.

Note: We received a complimentary workshop for my daughter and me from ChocoMuseo in exchange for this blog post. However, the views and opinions in this post are completely my own.

6 Comments

wow i love these kind of workshops, very useful and interesting. I used to join many art workshops as a volunteer, very worth it. and chocolate workshop, such a interesting idea. Thank you for your sharing

What a wonderful class to take with your daughter. The history of chocolate is fascinating. But I could certainly see this being a lot fun for adults too. I always think when you cook or bake something you have a deeper appreciation for it!

there’s a chocolate museum here in Vienna and their workshop is very similar to what you describe! at first, I thought it is a tourist trap, but they are real experts in the history of chocolate and made the experience so authentic….felt like being in Costa Rica!